Pages

Keep Your Fingers Green This Winter With These Handy Greenhouse Tips

With winter nearly upon us and the weather getting colder each day, it can be hard to satisfy our love of gardening. As the garden dies, it can feel as though there’s no hope until spring rolls back around. But what if it doesn’t have to be that way? What if it was possible to keep your gardening desires satisfied, even in winter? With a good greenhouse and a little research, it’s possible to keep growing all year round! Here are some things you might want to consider if you’re going to keep your garden budding.

Greenhouse

Greenhouse growing can be hugely successful in the colder months. Don’t worry about extortionate heating bills either. With a little planning, you can keep your greenhouse thriving with no extra heat. The protection of a greenhouse alone can be enough to keep the chill off your plants. On the icy nights, you might want to bring your plants inside for protection. In general they should be okay. When considering winter growing, consider what kind of greenhouse you use. Aluminium greenhouses would probably be a better choice than, say, a wooden greenhouse which might not withstand the damp weather so well. You want a greenhouse that you don’t have to worry about. It’s the plants inside that need attention!

Winter Plants

It’s possible to grow most things during the winter with a little care. Some plants will thrive better in your winter greenhouse. Salad bits can do fantastically well during the winter because they’re hardy. Rocket, pak choi, and spinach are just a few that are likely to thrive. Herbs are also good at withstanding the cold. If you’re keen to keep your vegetable garden alive, onions, garlic, and broad beans are all good for this time of year. With flowers, it’s best to stick to those that are in season. There are some beautiful winter flowers out there. From pansies to cyclamen, you’ll be spoilt for choice!

Weather

It’s important to keep an eye on what the weather’s doing. If it’s going to be an impossibly cold night, it’s worth bringing your plants inside. The greenhouse will keep a lot of frost off of them, but that won’t be much good if the soil freezes. If the plants do get iced, give them time to thaw before picking them again. Pulling while the plant is frozen could result in the whole thing coming off in your hand.

Patience

Patience is key when growing in winter. The cold weather means that the growing process will be a lot slower than it would be otherwise. That doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen! Give the plants the proper chance to grow. It might even be worth keeping them inside until they start to bud if you want to speed things up a little. You can’t blame them for being a little slower when it’s cold out. You’d want to stay in the warm of a bulb too if given a choice!